


Bridges Forward

by thesummerstorms



Series: Etain Lives AU [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss
Genre: Etain Lives AU, F/M, post-ImpCom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 15:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7538809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesummerstorms/pseuds/thesummerstorms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Post-ImpCom; Etain Lives AU] Darman tries to build bridges with the newest Jedi to enter his life, with some help from Etain and Kad. She's a tough kid- but still a kid all the same. He's trying to remember that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bridges Forward

**Author's Note:**

> So this is still in the 501st AU. Chronologically, this scene would take place after another in which a recently returned Darman, waking and realizing Etain’s not in bed, finds her comforting a crying Scout over some sort of memory or nightmare related to Order 66. completely unedited and very rough, bc I’m lazy af, and I’m still really nervous trying to write from Dar’s pov, but here we are.

Scout entered the room slowly, tugging at the sleeves of her borrowed orange pull-over before nodding a sleepy hello at Etain. Seeing her, Kad burbled happily from his high chair, and she waved her fingers at him before settling down in one of the open chairs. Darman kept one eye on her as he went about making his plate, but whatever wild grief or terror had possessed her last night seemed to have passed.

This morning, with her hair still tousled and her rough-spun uniform exchanged for crumpled slacks, Scout really looked no different from any of the youngsters Darman had so distantly observed back on Coruscant. Or if she did, he couldn’t tell the difference. She was quiet and watchful and there were faint bruise-like shadows beneath her eyes, but mostly she just looked like what she was: young. A kid.

She looked an awful lot like Etain.

Not Etain as she was now, he mentally corrected himself, and it wasn’t their faces, whatever _Kal’buir_ said. But the set of the shoulders, half-caught between weariness and resignation- it reminded him somehow of Qiluura.

Dar swallowed, busying himself with the pan of eggs while still keeping a discreet eye on things. At the table, Etain was still trying to coax Kad into taking a spoon of something mashed and orange, but she smiled as Scout reached towards her for the bottle of juice.

“Morning, Scout.” Etain’s voice felt quieter than normal, slightly strained in its cheerfulness. Probably she was trying to save Scout embarrassment by not openly asking if the girl felt better, but Darman could still feel the awkwardness sitting between them.

Scout must have felt it, too, because she colored slightly as she met Etain’s gaze. But to her credit, she didn’t shy. “If Bardan says he wants to do some intense practice after lunch,” the girl asked, jumping straight to business, “How worried should I be?”

From the display Darman had seen yesterday, Scout was plenty capable of holding her own. Nobody had been expecting her to read _Bard’ika_ that well. She was quick with her lightsaber and quicker on her feet, and that put her ahead of some of the other non-clones Darman had fought with in the past, whatever her age.

But however tough Scout was acting, she still seemed worried about the potential rematch. She wasn’t touching her juice, and the way she kept tapping her fingers on the glass made it seem like it was taking all her energy just to stay still in her seat.

Was this a Padawan thing? He’d never seen it in Jusik, but then Jusik had been Knighted shortly after their first meeting, and Darman had never served directly under a Jedi Commander who didn’t report to Zey.

“I don’t know,” he said, trying for _reassuring_ , “You did well in your sparring match yesterday. _Bard’ika_ ’s not going to underestimate you this time, but if you’re worried about keeping up with him, I think you’ll do fine. You’re good.” He thought about it for a second. “And if you start feeling nervous- just think about the look on his face when you knocked him on his _shebs_.” 

Etain smiled at him over her shoulder, but Scout looked startled, as if she’d managed to forget he was listening. Feeling slightly warm, Darman reached for the pot of caf, only to remember that it was still brewing.

“I practiced my forms a lot back at the… well, I practiced. Hand to hand, too. Master Ironhand said- ” Scout blinked, then hurried to the point. “But Bardan says he doesn’t want to work with lightsabers, and that probably means he wants to practice Force skills, right? Besides, I’m not sure how much good lightsabers will do against anyone in _beskar_.”

Etain hummed sympathetically, reaching with her free hand to push a plate of toast in the girl’s direction, restraining Kad from waving his spoon like some Mon Cal symphony director gone wild with the other. Gathering up his own breakfast, minus the empty mug, he sat down next to Etain, directly across from Scout.

“I still don’t think you should be anxious,” Etain offered, “but… it probably wouldn’t hurt, given… everything.”

Scout scowled through her mouthful of bread, elbows on the table, her chin tucked downwards, but Darman thought he could see what Etain was getting at. Scout’s skill with a lightsaber would be handy if she found herself backed into a corner, but it wasn’t going to do much to keep her out of the corner in the first place. Not with the entire Imperial Army on the hunt for Jedi and Palps building up _beskar_ prison cells. The trouble was that neither would any noticeable displays of the Force.

The thought of Scout’s face on the board in the barracks clashed with the memory of Melusar’s determined smile, and he coughed hard into his plate of eggs before Etain nudged her half-full cup of caf in his direction. The bitter liquid did nothing to soothe the sudden churning in his stomach, but when he could breathe again, he turned to Scout.

“Maybe that’s not what Bardan means. Or even if that is what he’s planning, maybe that’s not what you should do. Have you got any experience with a sidearm?”

Scout shook her head. “According to the Masters, our lightsabers were our lives, and the only weapons we’d ever need.”

“I’m not sure that’s true anymore,” Etain said.

“No,” Dar agreed still thinking, and reached for the sugar pot in the middle of the table, stirring a few spoonfulls into Etain’s caf. “It’s not safe to rely on just the shiny stick. Not when anyone and everyone knows that anybody using a lightsaber is Jedi. If you want, I could give you some lessons with a Deecee, show you the basics. Or you could start with a pistol.”

Scout swallowed her bread a little too noisily, her eyes wide, her fidgeting increased. It was the same kind of look Darman might have given a Kaminoan who expressed concern at his meeting a training objective. His sense of queasiness intensified, brushed with a sudden blush of irritation- he had never expected to be on the receiving end of that stare- but he pushed it back. Maybe it was too soon to ask Scout to stand around calmly while a clone fired a blaster beside her. He had to try to understand that.

“But Etain’s a fairly good shot, too.” He put a hand on his wife’s knee, working to keep his voice level and without judgment, “Once she’s feeling up to it, I’m sure you two could practice together.”

“Right,” Etain added hurriedly, “I promise, I won’t even start you off with an oversized rifle, like Omega did me.”

Scout was on the edge of her seat, eyes flicking between the two of them before settling on Kad, who looked back at her with equal interest. She took a few deep breaths; Darman thought he could see her lips moving faintly. He was ready for her to flatly refuse, or else retreat into silence. But instead she held her peace for another few moments before looking up to meet his eyes- not Etain’s.

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course. There’s no rush, _ad’ika_. Whenever you’re ready.”

The diminutive slipped out of his mouth before he even thought about it. But maybe whatever time Scout needed would be enough for him to remember that she wasn’t like the Jedi in Melusar’s briefings, or the ones who had hurt Etain.

He could make this work. He had to make this work. He’d have to be blind not to see that Etain had taken a shine to Scout. And really, she was just a kid.

Etain chose that moment to take her caf back and sip at the remainder he’d left. Her face contorted into a grimace; Scout snorted loudly, breaking the tension. Etain stood up, and Darman reached out to steady her, but she was already pushing away from him, one hand stretched out expectantly.

“Scout, hand me my stick, would you? I think the caf’s ready, and Dar’s gone and ruined mine. Help me fix a cup, and _he_ can finish feeding the baby while we talk about all of _Bard’ika’s_ tells.”


End file.
